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Back in February, American fashion designers brought out some unexpected colors at the fall 2010 shows, namely jewel tones There was EMERALD GREEN aka ‘Cuckoo for this Color’ SAPPHIRE aka ‘Yodel Me on my Cell’, and my absolute favoriteTEAL aka ‘ SKI TEAL WE DROP’. THIS IS NOT A MISPRINT, TEAL IS A KEY COLOR FOR FALL DRESSING. Until last February, it’s a color I’d formerly associated with beyond-ugly bridesmaid dresses in the late eighties. This time though, TEAL is looking infinitely better second time around. THE SECRET TO WORKING TEAL INTO YOUR WARDROBE IS TO TAKE IT IN SMALL DOSES. PAINT YOUR NAILS AND OR TOES, OR TIE ON A SCARF OR A PAIR OF LEATHER GLOVES IF YOU WANT TO INVEST MORE INTO THIS TREND.

WHY IT MATTERS: My current fixation on teal is that it may be the bridge that takes us from the tail end of the eighties trend into the new, ladylike classic dressing we’re longing for.

THE GLOSSY MAGAZINE ADS HAVE ALREADY STARTED TO SHOW US THE DIRECTION WE’RE GOING-IN. JUST FLIP THROUGH A FEW HIGH END MAGS SUCH AS VOGUE, HARPER’S BAZAAR AND MONOCLE, AND YOU’LL NOTICE THAT MANY ADS FEATURE THE “CLASSICS”. Incorporating a little bit of one of the jewel tones completes the picture of easy, lady-like style, which is how we’ll be dressing for fall.

It’s no secret that we’re going to be in a recession for a long long time. WHAT’S RESONATING NOW IS THE CLASSICS BECAUSE THEY MAKE US FEEL SAFER AND MORE SETTLED. It’s hard to stress when you’re in your closet, looking at your FOREVER PIECES. I will NEVER get rid of my YSL Trench Coat, Helmut Lang pinstripe pantsuit, Vuitton ‘Jeune Fille” LV monogram bag, or my small, ‘classic’ square cut solitaire diamond ring.

Here’s a shopping list of the top classics that accommodate a wide spectrum of price points. While intended for women, quite a few of these are unisex.1. Stubbs & Wooton slippers2. Sperry Top Siders3. J.P. Tods Driving Shoes4. A Vuitton ‘Speedy’5. Hermes’ ‘Birkin’ bag and H-belt6. A perfect trench coat from: Burberry or Michael Kors – take your pick7. A black mink jacket – mine’s from Revillon8. A tube of red Lipstick by CHANEL’s ‘Shanghai Red’, or REVLON ‘007’.9. Carrera’s Classic racing sunglasses, now available at www.solsticestores.com10. If you’re a man, a navy double-breasted blazer.*David – it’s time to start wearing that Burberry one you have in your closet!

Back to the original inspiration – I’m now a fan of Suzi Weisse-Fischmann, OPI’s Executive VP & Artistic Director, and have started to follow her blog, www.suzisbeautyblog.com, because she give out insightful style tips on how to participate in the latest fashion trends. Best of all, it will only cost you $7 and change to pick up a bottle of the latest color.

For easy shopping, visit www.opi.com. You can even “try-on” the color without ever having to leave your house – can’t beat that!